NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Matt Hagan already has two world championships and 18 wins in what has been a standout Funny Car career in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

But those accomplishments, coupled with the ultra-competitive and record-breaking state of the Funny Car class, only have the Don Schumacher Racing star even more driven for the 2016 season in his 10,000-horsepower Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T.

Coming off a first-round loss at the season-opening race in Pomona, Hagan has high hopes heading to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, home to the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Feb. 26-28. Hagan is the defending winner of the event, making it the perfect opportunity to start his championship quest.

“I’m focused for sure and very driven to win another championship this year,” Hagan said. “We have all the folks to do it, and I think DSR is one of those teams that will be a handful for everyone. I hope we’re one of those cars nobody wants to race. We’ve got good people, good parts, and it’s just a matter of executing on race day. As a driver, it’s about being focused, and when you have a great car, you don’t mess it up. I want to make sure I’m doing my job and holding up my end of the bargain.”

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Rodger Brogdon (Pro Stock) joined Hagan in the winner’s circle last year. For fans watching at home, the race will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), including Saturday qualifying coverage as well as live coverage of Sunday’s finals at 5 p.m. ET. The race is the second of 24 during the 2016 season, and Hagan, who won world championships in 2011 and 2014, hopes for better results in Phoenix after a hiccup in Pomona.

The opener wasn’t what the team had envisioned, but crew chief Dickie Venables got to the heart of the matter almost immediately after the first-round loss to Chad Head. Venables and the team disassembled the car in the pits, quickly finding the root of the problem. It wasn’t the most ideal situation, but Hagan was pleased that the team resolved the issue swiftly, hopefully ensuring there won’t be a carryover heading to Phoenix.

“We got to looking, and there was some stuff that just wasn’t right on the car,” Hagan said. “We pulled our old car back out. It’s proven, has a lot of notes on it, and we won a championship with it. Eventually, we’re going to have to run a new car, but some of the stuff put us in a bind, and we had to make some changes. Hopefully we can make up some ground with this car going to Phoenix. That’s racing; everything is not right all the time. It’s unfortunate it happened, but I would rather catch it now than five races into it.”

That’s the advantage of having a crew chief like Venables, who zeroed in on a solution before the team even left the track in Pomona. It is something that Hagan certainly appreciates, and it is a big part of the reason the team has meshed so well.

“I plan on winning a lot of races this year, but planning and doing are two different things,” said Hagan, who won four races in 2015. “[Dickie] is so tedious with everything. He knows what is broke and how to fix it. You have to have a guy like that if you want to have any success in this class. He creates answers, and that’s what you need. You need that type of guy. He’ll get out there and do whatever it takes. [In Pomona], he tore the car apart and found the solution. It’s pretty cool to see he cares that much.”

Finding immediate solutions and advantages is a must these days in Funny Car, which features a host of star drivers who delivered a renaissance season in 2015. The class reached new heights, records were broken multiple times, and the category became even more competitive.

Del Worsham ended up with the world championship thanks to an impressive performance in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, but other top drivers include national record holder and seven-time 2015 winner Jack Beckman and 16-time world champ John Force, the winningest driver in NHRA history in Phoenix with eight victories; Tommy Johnson Jr.; Ron Capps, who won in Pomona; Courtney Force; Cruz Pedregon; Alexis DeJoria; and Robert Hight.

Hagan knows he needs to continue to improve to have success in 2016. He won four races in the first 11 events last season but went winless for the rest of 2015, something that the Christiansburg, Va., cattle rancher hopes to avoid this year.

“All of these cars are so competitive, and that makes it so tough,” Hagan said. “Funny Car, man, hands down is the most competitive class out there. There are so many cars that can go out there and win on Sunday.”

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, Feb. 27, also at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 28.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRA.com/tickets. Kids 12 and younger will be admitted free in general-admission areas with a paid adult.